


Troubles, I Forgot 'Em (I Buried Them In The Sand)

by wingsyouburn



Category: Compilation of Final Fantasy VII
Genre: Gen, Humor, Post-Canon, Slice of Life, Vacation
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-01
Updated: 2020-09-01
Packaged: 2021-03-07 02:08:08
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,463
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26239120
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/wingsyouburn/pseuds/wingsyouburn
Summary: Reno and Rude in Costa del Sol.
Relationships: Reno & Rude (Compilation of FFVII)
Comments: 5
Kudos: 10
Collections: Press Start VI





	Troubles, I Forgot 'Em (I Buried Them In The Sand)

**Author's Note:**

> For lynndyre. I wanted to give the boys some R&R, as per your request. I hope you enjoy! ♥

Costa del Sol was a tourist trap. Thousands of people - the ones who could afford it, anyway - fled Midgar each summer to relax on its sandy beaches. Shops lined the boardwalk, hawking all sorts of wares, from hoodies and bathing suits to surfboards plastered with “Costa del Sol” across every surface. Restaurants catered to the most exclusive patrons, food trucks offered delicacies from Wutai to Mideel and back, and the town featured one of the most exclusive nightclubs outside of Midgar.

But working for Shinra had its perks. Not everyone got two weeks’ paid vacation at a luxury resort, including a private beach and access to the best bar in town. Rude wasn’t about to complain. They’d certainly earned a vacation for all the work they’d done over the last two years. 

After everything with Kadaj and his gang, summoning Bahamut, curing Rufus and everyone else of the geostigma, the Turks needed a break. Of course, Rude wasn’t going to go on vacation without Reno in tow. While he wanted peace and quiet, Reno’s chattering felt like home. Rude couldn’t imagine being truly alone.

Reno was the one who chose Costa del Sol. If it were up to Rude, maybe they would have gone back to Wutai and resumed their vacation from two years ago. He wasn’t unhappy with his friend’s choice. 

Rude leaned back in his lounge chair, adjusting his sunglasses. The sunset cast rays of orange and red over the water, and a cool breeze tickled his face. He kicked off his sandals and wiggled his toes, giving a contented sigh. Maybe now he’d finally get a moment to relax. 

“Rude! I got the drinks!” 

As always, Reno had to make an entrance. His unbuttoned floral print shirt, in shades of neon orange, fluttered at his back. His swim trunks were equally flashy, a bright blue not found in nature. He held a drink in each hand - one frozen concoction in a tall plastic glass the size of his arm, complete with whipped cream and a cherry on top; the other a green apple martini with a paper umbrella. 

Reno flopped into the chair beside him, careful not to spill their beverages. “Your choice, booze or frozen booze,” he said, holding both out to Rude. 

“You can have the fancy one.” Rude plucked the martini out of Reno’s hand, removing the umbrella and setting it aside. 

“Hey, your martini cost more than my sugar bomb.” Reno swirled the cherry though the whipped cream and popped it into his mouth. Licking his fingers, he continued, “It’s not my fault you like the expensive liquor.” 

“Because I have taste.” 

“So do I. Good taste.” 

“A sweet tooth isn’t the same thing.” 

Reno scrunched his nose in Rude’s direction. “Spoilsport. Don’t forget, we’re here to relax. Have a good time.” 

Rude sipped at the martini. It was sweeter than he liked, thanks to the apple schnapps, but it was a nice change from his usual pints at whatever dive bar they could find. “I am having a good time,” he said. 

“I know, I know. But there’s a new club down the street from here. No cover charge for Shinra employees.” Reno wiggled his eyebrows. “Do you want to try it out?” 

“Maybe.” Clubbing all night with a bunch of strangers could be fun, but Rude was content right where he was. Maybe he’d see if there was a bookstore along the boardwalk and pick up something new to read. “Contrary to popular opinion, one does not need to stack their days full of activities in order to enjoy a vacation,” he reminded his partner. 

“And someone” - Reno clinked his plastic cup against Rude’s martini glass - “needs to remember to cut loose every once in a while. We’re off duty! We should act like it.” 

Rude’s cell phone rang in his pocket. Several heads turned at his “Victory Fanfare” ringtone, commonly used by Shinra employees.

At the first ring, Rude didn’t react, sipping his martini. By the fourth ring, Reno’s eyes twitched. “You brought your work phone?” Reno scoffed, incredulous. “Come on. I thought we weren’t working.” 

“Force of habit.” Rude looked at the display. “It’s Tseng.” 

“You’re not answering that.” 

Now it was Rude’s turn to raise an eyebrow. “He wouldn’t call if it wasn’t important.” 

“He knows we’re on leave. That should automatically put us on a ‘do not call’ list or something.” 

“You’re overreacting.” Rude brought the phone to his ear. “Hello?” 

Tseng never answered. Reno wrenched the phone out of Rude’s grip and threw it as hard as he could, right into the ocean. 

“Hah!” Reno shouted at the waves. “Take that, Shinra! That’s what you get for interrupting my vacation!” He toasted the waves with his frozen drink, then took a long sip from the giant straw. 

Rude sighed, pinching his brow. Missing a phone call was one thing. Ignoring his superiors was another. If President Rufus Shinra called, it would be a different story - even Reno wouldn’t disrespect the President like that. Tseng was the one who approved their break. He knew they weren’t supposed to report in for another week. “That was unnecessary,” he said, never raising his voice.

“You,” Reno jabbed a finger in his direction, “need to learn how to relax. Take a chill pill. And leave your phone in the hotel room!” 

“And if you hadn’t tossed my phone into the ocean, maybe I can do that next time.” 

“I’ll get you a new phone.” 

“Oh really.” Rude eyed Reno over his sunglasses. “So you’re the one who’s going to go to Human Resources and explain to them that you threw my Shinra-approved work phone into the ocean off Costa del Sol? Did you even bring yours with you?” 

Reno rolled his eyes. “No, why would I?” 

Just as Rude figured. “So, in doing so,” he continued, “you have rendered both of us unable to respond to any Shinra related business for the foreseeable future. And you believe that they’re just going to give you another phone, for me, without docking your pay first?” 

Reno’s face paled. 

“Of course,” Rude continued, “this assumes Tseng didn’t need something important from us. Perhaps Tseng and Elena might crash our vacation and force us to work anyway.” He gave a mock sigh, looking out over the water. “What a shame it would be if we had to cut our downtime short.” 

“Ugh!” Reno threw up a hand, taking one last slurp from his drink. “I’ll get your stupid phone!” 

Thrusting the cup at Rude, Reno took off towards the ocean. He didn’t even bother to strip out of his shirt before he dived into the waves. Frantically, he popped back up, looking around. “Come on, I didn’t toss it that far!” Everyone on the beach could hear Reno talking to himself. “Where is that stupid - ugh!” 

He ducked back under the water, again and again. Reno’s bright red hair bobbed up and down like a buoy. More than one patron on the beach looked his way, pointing at the man in the water. 

Satisfied, Rude leaned back in his seat, sipping at his martini. Getting a new phone wouldn’t be too much of a hassle. Rude just didn’t want to listen to the lecture he’d get over his “disrespect for Shinra technology” when he ordered another one. At least his phone was waterproof and no one but Rude could access to it, so he wasn’t worried about anyone else finding it before Reno could. 

He toyed with his paper umbrella, savoring the moment. When they returned to the Turks, their work would begin in earnest, and Rude didn’t want to waste a minute of this precious time. 

Off to the side, two girls caught his eye, winking and waving in his direction. Each one was dressed for the beach, in skimpy bikinis and floral print wraps draping over their hips. One was a tall blonde with her hair piled high in a messy bun; the other with tanned skin that seemed to catch and reflect the light. Both were attractive, at least from a distance. 

Rude gave them a smug smile back. A server passed by, and Rude flagged the woman down. “Please send a round of drinks to the two lovely women over there,” he said, pointing to the girls in question. “Whatever they’d like. On our tab, please.” 

“Of course.” The server bowed her head and left to place the order. 

When Reno returned from his rescue mission, he’d introduce himself to their potential new friends. Reno’s mood would improve drastically if Rude reminded him that they could enjoy some female company for the evening. They’d both find what they needed to relax on this vacation. 

Rude couldn’t imagine spending his days any other way.

**Author's Note:**

> Title is from Garth Brooks' "Two Piña Coladas" and has little to do with this actual story.


End file.
